CORPORATE COUNSEL WINNER

LISA D. INMAN, Waste Industries USA Inc., Raleigh

I’m involved in SKJAJA Fund, a small, local nonprofit that creates a big impact from small, targeted gifts for children who don’t have the means to participate in after-school activities. Each child who receives a gift is asked to pay it forward in some manner, so in receiving, each also learns the importance of giving.

Vita: Born Jan. 5, 1966, in Chapel Hill; bachelor’s from Rice University and law degree from UNC Chapel Hill; husband and three children. What she’d be if not a lawyer: A backup singer for Aretha Franklin. Memorable case: The purchase agreement had been signed, and all conditions had been met. All that was left to do was to run the closing calculations. Unfortunately, the seller didn’t like how the calculations came out, so he said he wasn’t closing on the last day before he was permitted to walk away. We pulled together to come up with solutions, ranging from tendering the funds to filing suit. Ultimately, we came up with a solution that didn’t leave too many battle scars. Passions: My family, music and Carolina basketball. Favorite place: Sitting on the beach looking at the ocean. Recent reading:Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. Don’t ask her to: Eat tomatoes. I just can’t do it.